Ōtsu-e of Courtesan in White

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

In the Yoshiwara pleasure quarter of the metropolis of Edo, it was customary for courtesans to wear white robes on the first day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. The tradition was captured in woodblock prints, which served as the inspiration for Ōtsu-e such as this one.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art